


Friends or Lovers?

by Sarcastic_Soulmate



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Love, Other, POV Alternating, POV Second Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:53:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24169171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarcastic_Soulmate/pseuds/Sarcastic_Soulmate
Summary: Leslie calls Ann, worried that Ben will stop loving her and leave. Ben overhears. Chaos ensues. Fluff ensues. Post S05E01.
Relationships: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Comments: 7
Kudos: 57





	Friends or Lovers?

**Author's Note:**

> I like writing insecure Leslie and reassuring Ben. Sue me.
> 
> (But seriously, call a mental hospital.)

Leslie couldn't get it out of her head. Ben introduced her as his friend? She just couldn't wrap her head around it. 

The problem was, it very well may have been a slip, but if it was, it would mean that his subconscious thought of her as his friend, and she didn't want to think about that. 

Course, she didn't want to tell Ben about it, but she knew that he knew something other than being tired was up from the way he was looking at her before he had to leave on that phone call. 

She's still sitting in the closet, thinking everything over. This year has been so hectic. The breakup, the scandal, the election, and now, they're hundreds of miles away from each other, and even though she's in D.C. with him, she's never felt so lonely. 

She takes out her phone. Ann should be available. Hopefully. She dials. 

"Hey, Leslie, I'm a little busy. What's up?" 

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about." 

"Hmm?" Ann could sense the sadness in Leslie's voice. Did she have a fight with Ben?

"This might be my fault and maybe I'm being really silly about this whole thing and blowing it out of proportion and driving myself crazy because I'm already having a bad day-

"Leslie. What happened?" 

She takes a deep breath. "Ben introduced me to these senators. They were really great women that I've looked up to since forever."

"Well, isn't that a good thing?" 

"It is. It was. But he introduced me as his friend. In a gala full of smart, sexy, sophisticated, tall women who have so much more to offer. I'm not saying I don't trust Ben but.... This whole time I've been hiding in this closet, I've been thinking about how it could have been a slip, but if it was, it could mean that in the back of his mind, his subconscious, if you will, he thinks of us as friends."

"Oh. Leslie, I don't know what to say." 

"I don't know what to think either. I don't even know what would make me feel better. If you told me I was being silly, and everything is fine, then I would feel like I'm undermining my own instincts. And then if you told me it was something I should feel hurt about...." She trails off.

"I know just what you mean. Just talk to Ben, I'm sure you could work this out together." 

"Oh, Ann, you beautiful, effervescent, spider monkey. What is there to work out? Just my own insecurity? I don't want to put him in that position."

"Leslie, what's your other option? Staying paranoid about it, and it eventually ruining your relationship?" 

"I doubt that it will ruin the relationship." 

"But if you talk to him, you can at least eliminate that possibility." 

"You don't know that. What if he gets mad at me for it? What if he says that it's not his job to deal with my insecurity, and leaves? I don't know if I could live with that." 

"Are we talking about the same Ben who quit his job for you? The Ben that managed your campaign and tried to make you as stress-free as possible? The Ben that was so heartbroken and depressed when you were broken up?"

"I wouldn't say depressed-

"I would." She interrupts.

"Ann, you bright, marvelous land mermaid. I just don't know anymore. But what if this distance takes a toll? What if Ben gets sick of me always texting him or calling him and just... Leaves?" 

"Ahem." 

Leslie looks up. Ben is standing there, with an unreadable look on his face. Or maybe she just couldn't read it through the tears that were threatening to fall out of her eyes. 

"I'm going to have to call you back." Leslie hangs up. She looks around, and makes a split second decision.

She runs. As fast as she can, as far as she can. She could barely hear Ben calling out her name. She barely noticed him catching up to her. She did notice strong arms grab her by the waist and spin her around to face him.

//

Ben had no idea what was going on. All he knew was that Leslie thought he was going to leave her, and when he made her aware of his presence, she booked it. As soon as she did, he took off running after her. What was going on? She wasn't exactly the type to run away from a problem. He slowly began catching up to her, and as soon as he did, he pulled her by the waist to a stop.

//

"Leslie." 

Ben keeps his hold on her waist no matter how much she tries to twist out of his grip. 

"Leslie, honey, look at me." He couldn't bear to see her sad. And now she thinks he's going to abandon her? What the hell was going on?

She stares at the ground. This was the exact conversation she was trying to avoid having.

"Babe, what happened? I know there's something you're not telling me." 

"It's dumb, it doesn't matter." 

"If you think it's going to make me leave you, then yeah, it matters."

She gulps. "How much did you hear?"

"That's not important." 

"It kind of is." Leslie wasn't her usual self, and she was cranky and tired for obvious reasons. 

"Ok, fine. Something about me getting sick of you and leaving. Happy?" 

"Yes, Ben, clearly I'm happy." She grimaces. 

"What did I do?" 

"I told you, it's dumb. And it's not important." 

"If it's not important, why are you this upset and not telling me?" 

"Because, you shouldn't have to feel guilty for me being insecure about something you said that I took way out of proportion." 

Ben moves one hand from her waist to the side of her face. His other hand tightens on her waist. "What did I say?" 

"It doesn't matter." 

"What did I say?" He says, softly.

She turns away, unable to do this while maintaining eye contact. "Those senators. You introduced me as your friend. And the fact that it was in front of all those tall brunettes just makes it worse. And then I called Ann and we talked about Freudian slip and stuff. This is my fault. Now do you see why I didn't want to tell you?"

"Oh, honey." Ben whispers, pulling her to lean against his chest. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that." 

"Don't worry, it's not your fault." 

"Of course it is, why do you keep saying that?" Ben asked, sadly, pulling her impossibly closer.

"Cause it's not your job to deal with my crap." Leslie was cranky, and acting out. But how could she not? She was crying into Ben's chest and she pulled away.

"But it's not your fault. Good lord. I still don't know why I said that. It was just a meaningless slip. It doesn't reveal any subconscious thoughts, so don't worry about that," he said, kissing her forehead.

"It just bothers me for no good reason, hearing you say that in front of all those sophisticated, tall women who are much prettier than me." 

"First of all, no one is prettier than you. Second, I would never look at another girl. Third, you don't have to bottle everything inside and blame yourself to spare everyone else's feelings. " He brushes his hand over her ribcage.

She smiles. "Really?"

He kisses her lips in reply, long and tender, and wraps his arms around her once again. "Really." 

// 

On the car ride to his apartment, his mind wanders. It's unbelievable that Leslie doesn't understand how beautiful she really is. But it's understandable. She's with Ann all the time, and everyone's always talking about how beautiful she is, even Leslie herself. It's as if it was just some unwritten concept that Ann was the preferred one out of the two of them.

When he looks at Leslie, it's like no one else is even there, including Ann. When he kisses her, all he can think about is how in love with her he is. When he holds her, all he knows is how good she feels in his arms. He loves her, and only her. She's the girl of his dreams, the one he wants to marry and build a life with. And he knows he will.


End file.
